Burning the Memories
by MercuryMoon
Summary: Ed's thoughts the night he and Al burn their house. Could they have done anything differently? One-Shot fic.


As this is my first FMA fic, don't kill me if the characters are slightly OOC (or more than slightly....) XD This is a mediocre attempt at Ed's emotions when they burn their home.. Title name thought of by Ren-Rizu. Thank you!  
  
Disclaimer: FMA belongs to all of its original creators and whatnot.  
  
** Burning the Memories**  
  
Many thoughts ran through my head the night Al and I left our home for good. It was true; we had no family other than each other, what with Mom being dead and our father missing. I didn't care for the man, but my little brother refused to let go of him. Perhaps I too would have cherished my memories of him, but I couldn't. The years I had had with him, few though they may have been, were ones that had prepared me for years with my father, not an abrupt end to it all.  
  
I was still angry with my father for leaving, for leaving Mom alone to support the two of us. An image of her last smile, weak though it may have been, flashed through my mind. She hadn't left us, no matter how hard the times had been for her. Hohenmier of Light? Who cared about that? What was more important than family anyways?  
  
My rational side told me we shouldn't burn down our home, with all the memories we had there, but I knew we had to. Otherwise, we would think of our home the first time we failed and be tempted to return. It was inevitable that we would fail many times on our journey to regain our bodies, but I wanted us to keep on going no matter what.  
  
Winry and Mrs. Rockbell. The two of them were like family to Al and me. After Mom had died, they had always made sure we were well fed. Of course, Winry always tried to make me drink milk, a beverage I liked not too much. The way the white liquid slid slimily down my throat... Whenever possible, I tried to avoid drinking it. Sadly, Winry usually caught me. Either that, or Al, the little brat, would rat on me. I laughed a little, thinking of those days. How long ago it had seemed, although in reality it was merely a few months ago.  
  
Moments before I struck the flint and started the fire, I wanted to run back inside, to be surrounded by the familiar scent of home. I wanted to forget about becoming a State Alchemist, about the entire world. Then out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Al. Al trapped in a suit of armor because of my foolhardiness, unable to touch or feel, to eat or drink. All because of me. My left hand tightened, for I knew I had to think of my little brother. I had no right to feel self-pity because I could still act and was a normal human being. What right did I have to hang back, especially when I compared myself to Al?  
  
Al looked at me curiously, wondering why I was hesitating. I knew the answer to that though. We, Al, Mom, and I, had lived in this house for as long as I could remember and had created many memories there. Did I have the strength to just burn it all away? But I knew I couldn't think this way. This kind of mindset would prevent us from moving forward in our lives.  
  
With a quick strike, I struck a spark and touched it to the pile of logs Al and I had built earlier. It had been well soaked with oil, so I knew it would easily catch fire and burn well.  
  
Al and I stepped backward, watching the tiny orange flame creep up, growing larger and larger with each passing second. I wanted to turn away so I wouldn't have to watch our home burn, but I forced myself to watch for Al's sake. I was all he had left now and I had to be strong for him. Who cared about my feelings when I had a little brother I had to protect and fight for? Wasn't that what older brothers did?  
  
The flames touched our home, burning the old wood like it was rolled-up paper. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. Al didn't notice, for he was too intent on the fire, which was consuming everything in its path. It was a good thing after all that Al and I had taken the precaution of wetting everything that could have been in the reach of the fire. After all, the only thing we wanted to destroy was our home; we didn't want to threaten the other houses, far though they may have been.  
  
"Brother," Al said softly. "Are you sure we should have done this?"  
  
As always, he was thinking of me, never himself. I nodded defiantly, feeling the heat gently surround the two of us as if we were still in our mother's embrace. Smoke was creeping up from the flames, grey as sadness. "Yes. This way we can't turn back, no matter what."  
  
I could and had to imagine Al smiling, for with his suit of armor, he couldn't make the best facial expressions. "Brother, you're crying."  
  
I laughed casually, refusing to betray my emotions. "No, Al, I'm crying in place of you, because you can't cry yourself." But I couldn't stop the stream of tears.  
  
He knew me too well, but didn't say anything. I was glad. Finally, when our house had been almost devoured, I picked up my suitcase. "Let's go, Al."  
  
We left our home that day, October 3rd, never looking back, the flames still shooting high into the air. It was a day I was never to forget. It was the day we burned our past and made the decision to never return to it.  
  
Only one thing was on my mind now: To restore my brother's original body and free him of the accursed suit of armor. Nothing was going to deter me from that path.  
  
.......

And there it ends. Kind of abruptly, but I wasn't sure what else to do.. Anyways, let me know what you think! I'm thinking of doing an Envy fic next.. Quite a change from Fushigi Yuugi, don't you agree? :P


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